Life-boat



1). DWYER.

(No Model.)

LIFE BOAT.

w P fl j'fpted Mar; 13,1883.

11v V'EJVTOli Janie Z Jwye WITNESSES Attorney n. PETERS. Phominhogripm". 0. cv

NITED STATES ATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL DWYER, OF MARSHALL, TEXAS.

LIFE-BOAT.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 273,713, dated March13, 1883.

Application filed July 31, 1882. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, DANIEL DWYER, acitizen of the United States,residing at Marshall, in the county of Harrison and State of Texas, haveinvented certain new and useful Improvements in Life-Boats; and I dohereby declare theifollowing to be a full, clear, and exact descriptionof the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to whichit appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to improvements in life-boats, more especially inthat class having a central main boat, to which a float is secured oneach side, so as to give a broad floating capacity and stability to theboat; and the object is to prevent the boat from being capsized.

The invention consists in providing a steamlauneh with a float on eachside, secured by suitable strong-braces thereto, and to provide saidfloats with a hand-rail, so that persons can hold onto said rails, andare prevented from being washed off.

It also consists in the construction and arrangement of certain parts,as will be more fully described hereinafter, reference being had to theaccompanying drawings and the letters of reference marked thereon.

Like letters refer to like parts in the difl'erent figures of thedrawings, in which- Figure 1 represents a side elevation of my improvedlife-boat as a steam-launch. Fig. 2 is a plan view of the same. Fig. 3is a crosssection on line a: m.

In the drawings, A represents the main boat, which may be made with anoverhanging stern, as shown in the drawings, to form a space for apropeller, a, and rudder b; or it may be made sharp at each end, with astern similar to the bow, which I prefer. When constructed as asteam-launch the house B, for containing the engine and boiler, is madewith a sharp or triangular front end, so that the waves which come incontact with it will be split or divided and carried each side of theboat. In the bulwark of the boat are arranged a number of hinged doors,0, so that the water coming on deck in a rough sea can freely andquickly flow off the deck. On each side of the boat A are firmly securedthe floats D by strongiron braces E, which extend across the decks ofthe boat and floats and are secured to them. Between the boat and floatsare also secured the crossbraces d, and at the lower part of the boatand floats are attached the additional brace-rods 0, thus forming a verystrong bracing between all and holding them all firmly together. Inaddition to these, there may be arranged the longitudinal braces F,extending fore and aft of the boat and floats. Around the sides of thefloats are secured the hand-rails G, which form a very important part ofmyinvention, as they form a good support for persons who may get on thefloats, and a netting of strong rope or wire may be arranged between theboat and floats to prevent persons from falling between them. A mast, H,may be also properly rigged in the boat A. Where the braces are attachedI prefer to use bilge-keels to form a stifi'er securing means. Asstated, I prefer the boat to be made sharp at bow and stern, so as tobetter cut the surf or the waves. The railing should be made high enoughto form a safe protection and give a safe hold to the persons taken froma wreck. The boat, as well as the floats, may be made in compartments,and the floats are to be filled with air-tanks, so as to insure theirbuoyancy. The diagonal braces can be fastened to cleats between thebilge-pieces, if desired. The braces E may be extended around thebottoms of the keels and secured to them by bolts or rivets or othersuitable fastening means, and they may extend around the floats, asshown at g.

The great advantages of my improved lifeboat, especially when made as asteam-launch, will be readily appreciated by all mariners and thoseskilled in the art, and some of them arethatitmakesaverystrongandreliahlelife-boat, which it is almostimpossible to upset; it will readily cut through a surfor heavysea; agreat many persons can he carried by it at a time; the waves will breakover it very easily; its buoyancy and stability are very great inproportion to its size; it cannot get out of order; thebraces,beingarranged in themannershown, form no resistance to the water;the boat and floats can be made of wood, metal, or

other suitable material, and they can be made of any size desired,either larger or smaller; a boat constructed on this plan can, inproportion to its size, when compared with ordinary life-boats, carry agreat many more persons.

I am aware of the English Patent No. 1,884,

i A. D. .1875, in which is represented a steam ship or yacht havingcylindrical or cigarshaped Outriggers secured to the main vessel by astrong frame; and I am also aware that hand-rails and hinged doorsarranged on ordinary vessels or boats are, broadly, not new, andtherefore disclaim such; but,

Having thus described my invention. What Iclaim, and desire to secure byLetters Patent,

1. In a life-boat, the combination of a central boat, A, with the twofloats D, and secured to boat A by lateral braces E, extending over saidboats, cross-braces d, and bracerods e, all arranged as shown, and forthe purpose specified.

DANIEL DVVYER.

Witnesses:

CHARLES HEMJE, LLOYD F. KELEHER.

